TCHIBANGA

town, southwestern Gabon. It lies along the north bank of the Nyanga River and at the intersection of roads from Mouila, Ndend, and Mayumba. It has regular air connections with Port-Gentil, 210 miles (340 km) north-northwest. It is a traditional market centre. Gabon's rice cultivation, introduced in 1945, is concentrated in the region around Tchibanga, and a rice mill prepares the grain for the local market. Other local crops include peanuts (groundnuts) and cassava, and there is a palm-oil mill at Moabi, 33 miles (53 km) north. The lumber industry is of growing importance, marble is processed, and iron-ore deposits have been discovered southwest of the town. Tchibanga has a government secondary school, a medical centre, and a Roman Catholic church. Pop. (1985 est.) 53,500.